Practical Points for Application
Is it possible to extend the real world environment into the classroom?
As educators, we develop relationships with students during the 8- to 15-week semesters we have them in our classrooms. Whatever subject we teach, we can help students simultaneously develop intellectual skills and life skills. The pursuit of knowledge is important, but not without the application of the knowledge.
Primer Questions
Do you feel it’s part of your job to incorporate durable skills training in how and what you teach? There is no right or wrong, just how you feel.
Do you feel your students have the ability to understand the importance of developing durable skills?
Do you ever mention or allude to the importance of developing durable skills in addition to academic skills? Why or why not?
Write down your answers and observations and discuss them with the group.
An innovative approach requires an open mind.
“Human development is about the “whole person” learning and growing, not just cognitive learning. According to Psychology Today, adolescence should extend into the mid-20s. The periodical claims that 25 could be the new 18 as human brains are still rapidly developing in early adulthood. The medical reviewers at Very Well Family agree—emotional, social, and cognitive development are key areas of importance in adult learning. Why then does academic learning focus so heavily on intellectual achievement? When students arrive on our campuses, they may be technically proficient, but they are socially and emotionally unsure.”
-Beth Ryan is an Associate Professor of Instruction for Columbia College Chicago in the Business and Entrepreneurship department
Flexibility and Life-long Learning:
Consider modeling the time in the classroom as time on the job. I let students create group operating guidelines to define professionalism and how we will work together. By doing this, students begin to feel a sense of control for their actions and consequences. This empowers them to determine how we handle students that show up late—or exhibit other disruptive behaviors.
Experiment More
Create a series of synchronous and asynchronous activities throughout the semester. By doing so, students are encouraged to learn and participate in various ways, not just during class time. Have you ever had an “off” day and just couldn’t focus during a meeting? Our work isn’t evaluated only by our performance in a single time period. It is assessed over time by meeting various outcomes.
Allow time and space for students to reflect on class discussions by creating discussion forums in the LMS to continue the dialogue. Include a discussion forum rubric or netiquette guidelines that help students develop thoughtful, respectful communication skills.
Give students more agency when possible. For example, I provide students options in submitting either a paper, a visual presentation, or a video presentation for a mid-term assignment, thus providing more creative latitude when possible.
Engage students in group projects which increases student-to-student learning. Critical thinking isn’t developed when students are cramming material to pass a test. Engaging students in group activities helps develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills that employers want. Yep, they get to practice dealing with those difficult team members which is great preparation for the workplace.
Use technology in the classroom for students to learn and build proficiencies on different platforms. There are various cloud-based collaboration, group, and project management tools built into our Learning Management Systems (LMS) that we can leverage in the classroom, not just in online courses. I use Bongo for group projects where students set milestones, divide responsibilities, share files, and collaborate to complete outcomes. During class time, I help troubleshoot technology when necessary and they can complete work asynchronously.
Get students talking more. Let’s face it, given the chance, many students will hide in the back of the classroom and not comment. I use story cards and often begin a class with 5 minutes of activity. I ask students to stand and pair with someone on the opposite side of the room. Each pair selects a story card with a discussion prompt that gives them 5 minutes to talk to each other. It is amazing how this opens them up to discuss course concepts!
Where and When Learning Occurs.
There is a growing recognition that the time spent in the classroom does not necessarily equate to skills acquired. Simultaneously, an increasing number of people agree that meaningful learning occurs continuously outside of the classroom.
“If you actually believe that premise — that learning is happening everywhere and not just in six-hour time increments for nine months of the year — then you need to build tools that build trust that the learning that is happening outside of school time is real,” — Timothy Knowles
This is where the MindSage program's metacognitive exercises come into play. To develop durable skills taught in the classroom, students must engage in self-examination outside of the classroom. This means students need to reflect on their daily experiences and what they've learned in their lessons.
It’s no wonder that a child placed in classrooms for years knows only how to be a student. There is nothing that prepares them for the workplace environment.
The following is a quote from one of our participants regarding learning in our workplace environment: 'It was really cool to break out of the academic mindset. I feel like it's been my entire life… I’ve just been a student. And I’m like, what am I after I’m a student?
The sooner we allow young people to experience the unique challenges of working in a team setting, the more prepared they’ll be once they get there.
“At the K-12 level, there’s been a push to create more flexibility in the school day for “immersive experiences,” like internships and hands-on projects, from players such as XQ Institute, the nonprofit supported by Emerson Collective that since 2015 has poured millions of dollars into efforts across the country to “rethink high school.”
-EdSurge Article: “What If We Measured Learning Through Skills Gained, Not Time Spent in the Classroom?” Influential institutions throw their weight behind bringing competency-based education to high school and college.